


Kill Switch

by MazieMaze



Category: Blood+ (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:42:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29076546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MazieMaze/pseuds/MazieMaze
Summary: Diva lives the life of an ordinary, amnesiac girl. Diva's happiness and normalcy is soon warped by a monster hellbent on tormenting her. Their connection scorches her as he looms in the background, refusing to let her go. Sometimes you have to dance with the devil to get out of hell.





	Kill Switch

**Disclaimer:** The series Blood+ is not my property, but if it were, it would have happened like this.  
Another “what-if” alternative story focused engages on Diva having an ordinary life, but with a twist. She did inflict unspeakable acts on those around her—and there have been so many theories on how her life would be if she had not been locked away in the Zoo for all those years.  
This story is based off the episode “A Boy Meets A Girl”. This story at its core is a result if the events at the Zoo had taken a darker turn had Saya not been the one to free Diva from her tower.  
This story also focuses on Diva having a normal life, until a chain of events linked to her blood soaked past come to roost.  
Rated Teen for now, soon to be Mature due to future chapters.

**Copyright 2021, MazieMaze. All rights reserved.**

“Time to eat!”

Before the words left her mouth, Diva’s chopsticks began to move on a collision course with her lunch.

It was the first night in her apartment in Osaka. She began to unpack her boxes and luggage during the entire day and only had a few items left to unpack. She had chosen a decent apartment to live in, though honestly her father believed she could have done better and it was mostly out of dire desperation to live on her own. It wasn’t the young children running jumping upstairs or the old man shouting at a passerby in the hallway for playing his music too loud that made her fall in love right away with the apartment. It was the fresh start that she needed to begin a life for herself and the distance from her family. Moving out of her parent’s home was a little stressful, she loved them dearly yet she didn’t want to live with them for the rest of her life. Especially her younger siblings, the twins.

Diva put in her earbuds and made her new bed, aligned her books, and stocked up on the family photos. Diva had lived in Yokohama, Japan previously with her family, however after wanting to see more of the world and earn a since of independence she moved out to Osaka where the six hour seventeen minute drive was pure bliss. Sadly, she had left behind a great number of friends there whom she missed terribly. She was already depressing herself with memories of her classmates. A new move meant that she would have to attend a whole new high school with people she didn’t even know. The whole idea was terrifying in itself.

She picked up the flyer beside her, staring at the large print. Sakuranomiya High School. She hadn’t really looked up much information on it though she figured it would be a decent school just like the last one. At her other school she’d been a top student excelling in all subjects, practically at the head of her class. Her teachers were saddened to see her go. Especially Etsuko, her best friend since she’d been in Yokohama for those years. Then again Diva didn’t remember much about her early years due to a childhood incident that left her amnesiac. Her ever so concerned parents reassured her that all of her old memories would return one day. It bothered her that some part of her memories were locked away, that she couldn’t tap into them at all. Her psychiatrist claimed that some sort of traumatic event would unlock all of her memories.

Sometimes Diva dreamt about a place that depending on the weather would be bone chilling cold or lave hot; stones pressing into her skin and…footsteps. Someone running down a hallway or corridor and the clang of a lock falling to the floor…then nothing. What was it?

She removed her earbuds, paused her music and walked over to her laptop. Opening the thin notebook she typed in her password, accessed her video chat and waited. She promised her mom she would video call her once she’d been settled into her humble abode. It would be a relief to see her mother’s kind face. She waited a few minutes then a kind face framed by ebony hair popped up on her screen.

“Diva, my sweet baby.” her mother’s soft voice announced through the speakers. “How are things in your new apartment?”

“It’s great mom. The view is absolutely gorgeous.”

“Well I wish I were there with you baby. I’m glad you’re safe and sound, mommy got worried.”

Diva tucked a strand of dark hair behind her hair. Her mother was overly protective as well as a fierce mama bear. No one messed with her kids and got away with it. Once one of the twins had been hit with a ball at school one day by a gang of bullies. Not being one to tell, her brother Tatsuya confided in her which had been a big mistake because Diva’s tongue slipped to her mother about the hit. Her mother arrived at school one day with the twins in tow demanding one of them tell her who hit Tatsuya. Finally, Kohaku-the oldest twin born two minutes before Tatsuya-wagged his tongue. A bigger boy named Gin was the culprit.

Long story short Gin never bothered the twins again. Their mom could be quiet scary when she needed to be, she even scared their father not too long ago.

“How’s dad?”

“He’s still upset that you moved in that crummy apartment building. He wanted you to finish school down here, go off to a university.”

“Of course…” Diva sighed. “I happen to like it down here. School doesn’t start until next week and I found a job here that I love.”

“You did?” Her mother’s onyx eyes lit up like Christmas trees. “What kind of job?”

“I’m working as a waitress at a steak house,” she replied cheerfully. Diva loved working she wasn’t the type of girl to be pampered and spoiled by her parents or use their money for her own personal use. School wasn’t as boring as balls as her best friend Etsuko once quoted.

“Can I talk to dad?”

“Sorry dear, he’s away at work at the moment. Would you like for me to leave a message?”

“Work again, huh?” Diva remarked trying not to sound upset.

“I know you miss him, honey. Maybe sometime this week or the next the two of you can chat it up.”

“I would hope so. Oh, mom there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“What would that be?”

“Before I left home, I was in the attic looking for old photos of myself for a school project. I noticed that there weren’t any photos of me as a baby or even as a young girl. Just pictures of me today. There are pictures of the twins from infancy to their pre-teens now.”

Her mother was silent for the next few minutes, her eyes shifted from the other side of the screen, she bit on her thumb nervously.

“Mom?”

“Sweetheart, a long time ago there was a fire that pretty much burned all of our family photos. Your father and I tried to save the photos but they were so horribly burnt there was no need to keep them.”

“I don’t remember a fire…”

“Diva, dear you don’t remember a lot of things.”

“You’re right I suppose.”

“I’m sorry if I came off rude.”

“No it’s fine. I was just curious as to why there weren’t any photos of me from my early childhood…”

“Don’t worry Diva it will all work out soon.”

She blinked not saying anything.

“Diva?” her mother asked.

“I have to go now…I love you.” She didn’t give her mother a chance to respond as she had closed the top of her laptop shutting it down. She had been asking her mother that same question for the past two years, if not her then her father. And it was always a different story as to why there weren’t photos of herself during her early childhood. Her photos had either been lost during their moves, the family had moved about ten times, they had been eaten by moths or gotten wet during a flood, causing them to mold. They kept telling her these things until eventually she stopped asking. It would just be nice to have some semblance of photographic memories of herself to hold onto.

“I don’t really know much about anything.”

Diva had no recollection of any event in her life that had occurred more than one year ago.

Simply labeling it amnesia seemed too exaggerated, and for the most part her day-to-day life wasn’t all that inconvenienced by it. However, it was times like this that she had a sense of loss for the memories she no longer had. The worst part about it was feeling like she didn’t know whom she was most days.

“It’s been a whole year and there’s so much I don’t know about…it’s frustrating.”

_That’s weird. A fire destroyed my photos? Wouldn’t she have told me this long before instead of now? Why wait this long?_   
_Diva changed into a pair of shorts and T-shirt, pulling her long raven hair into a braid and unpacked another box of her belongings._

Next door she could hear her neighbor throw something heavy in one corner of their room and children running up and down the halls.  
Should she get a pet? It wasn’t as though she needed the company, but here she was out in another place unfamiliar to her. Everything she had grown accustomed to was way back in Yokohama. She may as well have ripped her heart out. It wasn’t like she was starting over, but it was bad enough she couldn’t recall her memories, putting so many miles between her precious ones. Diva rubbed her face unaware of the moisture that had built up until her eyes were sheen with tears.

“Damn it.”

_I just want a semblance…of anything. It’s always the same story._

Her therapist told her that in due time everything would come flooding back to her bit by bit. Another year of having to wait to regain memories, just be patient. What made Diva somewhat fearful was she probably wouldn’t remember anything or that no one would ever tell her.

To distract herself from somber thoughts, Diva continued unpacking, wiping away a few tears, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. When she picked up a framed photo, her nose caught onto the smell of something. It was a combination of smoke and mint. That’s when Diva slowly lowered herself onto her knees; her body began to tremble, the scent of kindle smoke and peppermint coming from nowhere in her apartment or the building for that matter.  
She gripped her head, her fingernails digging into her scalp, suddenly her heart began racing.

_What the hell? What’s going on?_

_Blood._   
_Fire._   
_Lots of it. The sharp metallic smelt of crimson flooded her nostrils, filling her nostrils; the intense flames consuming the surrounding area. The air was hot, so damn hot. A flood of crimson—everything was going by in a rush. A room, dank and cold—the walls so decrepit they could cave in any day. Pounding on wood._   
_A heavy door, thick with metal. More pounding._

_Stop. Please. Don’t open it._

Diva’s small frame only shook more, her lips quivering, the grip on her hair growing more taught. She was rocking on the balls of her feet, whispering jumbled words. Even she had no idea what the hell she was saying.

_I can’t…I can’t…_   
_Breathe._

It was like someone was constricting her airway, her lungs slowly being deprived of rich oxygen. The heat from the fire, the pooling of blood; running up and up a stairway. Hypoxia was starting to set in soon at this rate.

_Please…no more. No more! Make it stop!_

A hand stretched out—

“No!!!!” Diva shrieked, loud enough to shatter glass. It startled her, making her fall back, scrambling away from whatever was the source of her vivid dream. A terrible nightmare. She was panting, shaky breaths making it look as though she were hyperventilating. Her hands came to caress her face, her eyes glossy with fresh tears. Her heartbeat was so frantic it felt like the red muscle would rip out of her ribcage.

“No…” Why did it sound as though she were pleading?  
The vision-dream or whatever vanished. Diva blinked frantically, pawing for anything in sight only to grasp air. She gulped.

“Nothing happened. It was nothing. Relax.” But who was she trying to convince? Was this normal? She couldn’t decipher what she saw just now. God, hopefully she hadn’t disturbed anyone sounding like a banshee.

Diva willed her body to loosen up, the spasming coming to a halt, she was almost herself again. Standing upright once more Diva came back to the box she had just been attending to. A slight frown crossed her features. A delicate hand reached inside, careful not to drop it. The portrait she had just held not long ago before the vivid vision—the glass was shattered in spiderweb cracks. She couldn’t make out the faces anymore, the tiny shards about to fall out.  
But she hadn’t dropped it that hard? Had she thrown it?

This wasn’t the only item that was broken either. A small teal vase had been cracked in two. Diva made sure to check to see if any more of her possessions were ruined. Almost relieved, the photo and vase were the only victims of her attack.  
She went to fetch her broom and dust pan, heartbroken over her prized valuables. The broken glass long discarded, Diva resumed unpacking, decorating, all the while humming to herself. The sweet tunes were relaxing. She was smiling again.  
“Sorry,” she apologized to no one in particular. She wanted to laugh about it but feared it’d make her look like a lunatic. Thankfully her outcry didn’t shatter the windows of her apartment. For that she’d be eternally grateful.

A vase of flowers on the wooden end table—orchids, the walls decorated in various sized frames of family and friends, even the family pet and a few posters sang out nicely in Diva’s apartment. The young girl stood triumphant, hands on her hips, swinging back and forth on her bare feet against the wooden floors.  
Home Sweet Home.  
This is what freedom smelled like. Fresh paint, woody earth, and honey vanilla curtesy of her candles. Her chest continued to swell with pride. This was all hers. She had done this by herself and no one was ever going to take it from her. Diva drummed her nails on the bookshelf, practically beaming with happiness.

Cracking her spine, Diva took another grandeur sweep of her humble abode. She didn’t have to go to work for a few more days, what could she do in the meantime? Maybe get a few more things, lounge around, talk to her parents and brothers.

First, a shower.  
Forty-five minutes of pure bliss in a steamy bath was the best she’d ever have. Diva quickly dressed, brushed her teeth, combed her hair, examined herself in the mirror. Out she goes! She locked her door behind her, tucking the key safely inside of her pocket.  
“It’s been productive for me. I should make a bingo book.”

Diva was hit by the bustle of passerby, roaring cars, children at play, the usual bustle part of her home. A dog scampered by her, an old man shouted into his cell, a group of teen boys were doing whatever. Diva briskly jogged into the crowd. Maybe she should get something to eat. Probably should check her bank account before splurging.  
Up above a very large billboard television broadcast the news. Diva didn’t pay attention, but she could make out the first couple of sentences detailing a series of murders. Diva would get a sense of unease at the topic, hearing people being butchered, slain, the loved ones left to suffer in pain. It’s why she didn’t pay attention to news. Too depressing.

A jolt memory of her nightmare nearly had her bumping into a steel pole. Focus. She had to focus. It felt more than a vision—she could feel the heated flames, smell the blood, the coldness all consuming her. The aftermath of shaking herself free from those horrid images to see her poor picture and vase the victims of it.

It felt like she was paralyzed during the whole experience. It had frightened her so bad she was on the verge of crying, breaking down, and she still had no idea what brought it all on. Could have been when she smelt smoke and mint? Scowling, Diva scratched her cheek.  
That was just so odd.

“Food first. I’m starving.” Her voice was in a whisper as she felt something prickle the back of her neck. She became rod still, something made the air around her humid and her heart dance like a drum. It was coming from the opposite direction—on the other side where she stood.  
Run.  
She gasped, gulped—she couldn’t seem to get any air into her lungs. Her eyes darted back and forth, her hands clutching at her chest. Her knees buckled. Her thundering heart nearly jumped into her throat. Once again Diva found herself out of control of her own body. Sweat beaded her forehead, her nails scratching at the fabric of her blouse.

_Run._

That disembodied voice echoed in her skull again. The pungent smell of blood and smoke more pronounced than it was a day ago.

Her eyes began scanning crowds in search of the voice, that one word hanging deep in her subconscious.

_Breathe._ The silent command didn’t help. Frantic, Diva swirled left and right, her blue optics wide and fearful. Whoever it was sounded so far, yet so close. If Diva weren’t sane she could have sworn she heard a smile in that command.

Diva didn’t care about the stares she was getting from strangers. Her view was drawn to the sidewalk on the other side. She could see the form of a tall, young man walking by. He appeared to be in his early twenties, though she couldn’t make out his face, only the back of his head. Only able to catch his back seeing he wore some kind of dark shirt, Diva crumbled to her feet, bracing both hands on the concrete.

“What is this…what is this…?”

_Drip. Drip._

The blood coated her hands, the scent clashed with—burning flesh? A spray of crimson arced in the air. She was scrambling away from something—someone? But before she could crawl away, a painful tug of her hair seared right into her scalp made her cry out.

“You’re afraid.”

_That voice! No. No._

That voice resonated in her marrow, made her stop breathing. She couldn’t look up because that only made the grip on her scalp worse. Something moved against her throat, a sharp object. Was he going to kill her?  
“Do you understand?” His voice raised goosebumps all over her.  
“Who are you?”

_**“STOP!!”** _

A million pairs of eyes focused on her. Diva was still crouched on the sidewalk, unaware of a pair of soothing hands on her shoulders. Diva finally looked at the good Samaritan from the corner of her eye, breathing shallowly. Worry was etched into the old woman’s face, her soft hands rubbing soothing circles onto the girl’s back.

“Honey, are you okay?”  
Diva opened her mouth, but couldn’t form words.  
“You fainted. Are you well? Would you like to go to a hospital?”  
“I fainted,” Diva repeated. “I’m sorry…I…”

“Let’s get you somewhere so you can calm down.”

Despite the old woman’s frailty, she was surprisingly strong. Diva allowed the elderly woman to guide her away from gawking, whispering concerns and some comments about her being a nut. Great. Way to make a first great impression in her new home.

“I don’t need a hospital.”  
“Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you out here in case you black out again.”

Diva nodded.  
The two sat on a nearby bench, Diva somewhat hunched over, hands in her lap.  
“I’m fine, really. Don’t trouble yourself with someone like me. It was just a case of nerves is all.” It didn’t sound at all too convincing evident by the old woman’s raised eyebrow. That didn’t stop her from squeezing Diva’s arm, flashing her a radiant smile that made Diva’s heart ache. Just like her mother’s own smiles.

“No trouble at all. I don’t like seeing young girls in distress. You should probably go to a doctor. Do you usually have panic attacks? That’s not good.”

_No, I’ve never had one…is that what a panic attack feels like?_

“No,” Diva told her, smiling. “Just anxiety. I guess I forgot to take my meds. Like you said it’s bad for a girl like me to be in distress.”

_It nearly crippled me._

“Listen, I appreciate your help. I was just on my way home. It’s been quite a day for me.”  
“I bet it has. No need to thank me, you remind me of my granddaughter so it’s a motherly instinct. You nearly frightened me.”

_Not as much as I frightened myself. This is the second time this has happened to me. I don’t know…_

Diva cleared her throat. “I’m fine, really. But I will make sure to see a doctor. I’m glad I met you.”

The sweet grandma patted her thigh before she slowly got up to resume whatever she was doing before assisting Diva. One last glance, a wave, and the old woman was gone. No longer the center of unwanted attention, Diva walk ran into another way. She couldn’t feel that man anymore, was he vivid in her imagination? He was too real to be a hallucination.

Maybe she truly was off her rocker.  
Whatever the reason, he was gone, though ever inch resonated with his presence. Diva could still feel him. Shutting her eyes she fervently hoped she wouldn’t run into him. Please, let him just be a nameless guy.

She may have not remembered anything beyond the past year, yet these visions felt familiar. As though she had lived through them. Okay, she was definitely losing her mind.

“Why? Why does that guy feel so familiar?” She whispered.


End file.
